


The Caring of Bakenekos

by Vespacat



Category: IDOLiSH7 (Video Game)
Genre: M/M, more tags will be added as I go
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-10-19
Updated: 2020-04-14
Packaged: 2020-12-23 23:55:38
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,059
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21089927
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Vespacat/pseuds/Vespacat
Summary: Previously known as: A Man and His YokaiBasically my version of Yokai AU. Will mostly be centered around Gaku/Tenn and Sogo/Riku but I may include chapters for the other characters as well. The theme is mostly daily life.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is basically a continuation of something I wrote for GakuTenn week, also my own personal version of a Yokai AU. It's not based on the official Yokai Kuji.

Gaku hadn't planned on adopting a cat but somehow that's what he had done.

He had been on his way home when he heard two cats shrieking. And then a cat as white as the snow tumbled out in front of him with a black cat chasing him out, hissing angrily. Gaku reached down and scooped the white cat up, waving his other hand at the black one.

"Stop, shoo shoo!" He shouted, causing the black cat to turn tail and take off back down the alley. Gaku then looked down at the white cat in his arms. The cat looked up at him and Gaku was captivated by its pink eyes. He had never seen a cat with eyes of that color. The cat had then purred and snuggled against him and Gaku couldn't help himself. He held the kitty close as he stood up and took it home.

And now he was sitting in his living room, watching as the cat walked around and inspected the place. He had found out it was a male and he was trying to think of a name for him. He took his phone out and took a picture of him, sending it to his friend, Ryunosuke. His friend immediately sent a reply, commenting about how cute the cat was and if he could come over to see it. Gaku sent back yes that he could come and put his phone away.

Ryunosuke was over within ten minutes. It was faster than Gaku had expected, so he must have really wanted to see this cat. Gaku let him in and Ryu walked over to the cat.

"It's so cute. Here kitty kitty," he said and the cat stared at Ryu. He then nonchalantly started cleaning himself, as if Ryu was of no interest to him. Maybe he wasn't.

"I don't know what to name him. I was thinking maybe Shiro since he's white," he said.

"That's a cute name for him," Ryu said, looking at Gaku as he walked over. "Do you like your name Shiro?"

The way Ryu said that and the way Shiro looked at Ryu when he asked seemed very strange to Gaku. It was almost as if that cat understood him. But that couldn't be possible, he doubted that animals could really understand what they said.

"Do you have all the supplies you need? Food, bowls, a litter box? He'll need toys to play with too," Ryu said as he looked over and Gaku shook his head.

"No, I don't have any of that. I hadn't actually planned to bring him home but that's what happened," Gaku said. "I guess I should go get supplies though. Do you mind staying here and watching him?"

"I don't mind. Go on and I'll watch over him."

"Alright. Thanks, Ryu," Gaku said. Then he gave one more look at Shiro before leaving. He made a mental note of the things he would need to grab as he headed for the closest pet store.

\---

After Gaku left to get some cat supplies, Ryu stared down at the cat with a small smile. "You're not a normal cat are you?"

"And you're not human," the cat suddenly replied, staring at Ryu as he spoke.

"I knew it. But of course, we yokai can sense each other. So what are you?" He asked.

"A bakeneko, my name is Tenn. But I suppose you'll have to call me Shiro if that's what Gaku is planning to name me. What about you?"

"I'm a mizuchi dragon," he said. "Look, I don't mind you living here. But Gaku is my dear friend. If you plan on hurting him, I will never forgive you."

"I didn't plan for him to take me in. Now that I'm here I can't leave, but I..." He trailed off and Ryu stared at him.

"But what?"

"Nothing, it's my own problem, not yours. I've always wanted a home so I guess I can spend my life as a normal cat with Gaku," Tenn said.

"But you don't grow old and die like normal cats. what will you do about that?" Ryu asked and Tenn was silent was for a moment.

"I will cross that bridge when I get there," he finally replied. For a moment, Tenn looked sad.

"Is something wrong?"

"No. Like I said, it's my problem," Tenn said.

Finally, the door opened and Gaku walked in. Tenn meowed and ran over to Gaku. Ryu stood up and watched as Gaku smiled down at Tenn. He could tell Gaku was happy, maybe he had wanted a companion.

He just hoped Tenn would keep his word and not hurt Gaku.


	2. Chapter 2

Gaku wasn't sure what happened. He had come home from his job and sat down to rest on his couch. And his cat, who he had taken in off the street not too long ago, had come to rest on his lap. And the next thing he knew, there was suddenly a boy sitting on his lap. A _naked_ boy. And what was even weirder was that the boy had cat ears and even a tail.

They both stared at each other and Gaku was sure the look of surprise on the boy's face mirrored his own expression. They stared at each other in silence. Then the boy let out an angry meow and pushed himself off Gaku's lap, moving away and glaring at Gaku.

"Damn, I got too excited," the boy growled and Gaku finally snapped out of his shock.

"Who are you?" He asked though he had a feeling he already knew. That boy appeared where his cat had been after all, but the rational part of his brain was trying to deny it.

"You know who I am. What was it you called me? Shiro? That's not my actual name but there was no way you could know that," he said and Gaku groaned. So this really was his cat? Was this a dream? He was so tired that he fell asleep and was now dreaming his cat was human. He pinched his leg and unfortunately, it hurt.

"So this isn't a dream. How is this possible? What are you?" He asked and Shiro stood up.

"I'm a yokai. A bakeneko to be more exact. My name is Tenn," he said and Gaku stared at him.

"Yokai? I thought those were just things of fairytales," Gaku said and Tenn chuckled.

"There's a reason for that. There are lots of yokai out there in the real world, we just disguise or hide ourselves. Like how I disguised myself as a cat," he said and Gaku stared at him.

"If you were disguising yourself then why did you suddenly change?" Gaku asked and Tenn frowned. He looked away, a small pout on his face.

"I'm still rather young for a yokai so sometimes when I get excited, my disguises slip. Which is what happened tonight."

"So, you were excited? About what?" Gaku asked and Tenn blushed.

"None of your business!" Tenn huffed. Gaku shook his head and ran his fingers through his hair as he stood up. Tenn watched him carefully.

"You're taking all this surprisingly well."

"Well, seeing is believing. And I have already confirmed this wasn't a dream so I have no choice but to accept it at this point. What else is there to do? Not like I can tell anyone, doubt they'd believe me. They'd think I was crazy probably," he said. He was about to go into the kitchen, but when he glanced at Tenn, he changed his mind and went to the bedroom. Tenn got up and followed him.

"Are you going to bed? It's still early, you usually don't go to bed this early," he said.

"No, I'm getting you something to wear. You can't run around naked," Gaku told him. He looked through his drawers and pulled out a shirt before tossing it to Tenn. Then he pulled out a pair of sweatpants with drawstrings and gave those to him as well. "These will have to do for now... Should I pick up some clothes for you tomorrow?"

Tenn took the pants from him and put those on as well as the shirt. "You don't have to. I spend most of my time in my cat form after all."

"Still, they would be good to have, just in case. Especially since my clothes are too big for you," he said, walking past Tenn and heading for the kitchen. The bakeneko followed him again.

Gaku started pulling out ingredients to prepare dinner. He should prepare for two, right? Since Tenn was in a more human form. Or as human as he could be with those ears and tail.

"Do you like fish?" He asked, not missing the way Tenn's eyes lit up. He would take that as a yes. He began preparing two fish, one for him and one for Tenn as well as some rice. Tenn sat at the table and watched him, his tail swinging around. Once everything was ready, he made two plates and set them down on the table.

"Can you use utensils?" Gaku asked as got out forks and knives and went back over to the table.

"Of course I can," Tenn said, but Gaku could hear the uncertainty in his voice. Still, he gave him a fork and a knife and sat down. He started to eat and he watched Tenn from his peripheral vision. He could tell Tenn was struggling but he was managing well enough that Gaku didn't feel the need to call him out.

"Are you okay with this?" Tenn asked suddenly and Gaku gave him a confused look.

"What do you mean?"

"When you took me in, you were taking in a cat. I'm much more than what you were taking in at the time. Are you sure you're okay with me staying here? I won't blame you if you throw me out," Tenn said. He said it in such a calm voice, Gaku suspected it wasn't the first time this had happened.

"It's fine, I don't mind. You're right, I did take a cat in. But even if you are a yokai, you're still the same cat I picked up. So this is fine," he said. Tenn just stared at him then chuckled a bit.

"You're such a weird human," he said. Tenn finished his fish and rice and got up. "I'm going to take a nap."

"Yea, yea. Go ahead," Gaku said, watching as Tenn left the kitchen. He would probably find him in the bed after this, that seemed to be Tenn's favorite place. He finished his food and then got up to wash the dishes.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sogo was running home from the rain when he finds a cat that really needs some help

It was raining hard the day Sogo found him. He had been running home, trying to get out of the rain when he heard a pitiful meow. He stopped, unsure if he really heard it at first. But then he heard it again. He looked around and tried to locate where it was coming from. He heard it again and ran down one of the side streets, soon finding a cat that had reddish-brown fur. He was skinny, obviously on the brink of starvation and he had scratches all over him. He was also soaked to the bone, and he wasn't moving. The only sign he was even alive was the rise and fall of his sides as he breathed and the meows that escaped his mouth.

"You poor thing," Sogo said as he walked over. He unzipped his jacket and picked the cat up, holding him close to his body. The cat felt so cold to the touch. He didn't even react to being picked up. He then stood up and made the rest of the run home.

When he got home, he took a bath along with his new furry companion. The cat barely reacted to anything, he didn't even fight him as he bathed him. Then once that was done, he dried the cat off as best as he could and wrapped him in a blanket. Now the cat was laying on a pillow on the floor, sleeping peacefully.

"What should I do... He's obviously unwell, but the vets close to here are closed at this time," he mumbled as he pulled out his phone to check the time. "I have the day off tomorrow, so I can take him in tomorrow. But he needs food and water."

He went into the kitchen and pulled out two bowls. He filled one with water and took it into the living room, setting it close the pillow so the cat wouldn't have to go far to get to it. Then he went back into the kitchen and tried to find something for the cat to eat. He didn't have much. He found some blueberries and after googling if a cat could eat those, he put some in the bowl and took it into the living room.

"Here you go, some food and water," he said. The cat opened his eyes at the mention of food and got up. He slowly crawled over to the bowl and sniffed the blueberries. Then he started eating.

"Don't eat too fast, take it nice and slow," he said. The cat started eating slower, as if he understood what Sogo said. But there was no way he had. He took a picture of the cat and sent it into a group chat he had with his five friends. Nagi and Mitsuki messaged back first, saying that he was cute. Iori said he looked sickly, to which Sogo replied that he would take him to the vet tomorrow. Tamaki said 'ew, a cat' which made Sogo roll his eyes and not even bother replying. Yamato hadn't sent anything, so Sogo assumed he was busy.

The cat finished his meal and settled back down to sleep. Sogo got up, thinking of heading to bed as well. But he couldn't bear the thought of leaving the cat in the living room alone. So he picked him up and took him in the bedroom with him.

The next morning came and after both he and the cat had breakfast, he took the cat to the vet. He had expected the cat to freak out, he had heard stories of animals having meltdowns at vet offices. But maybe it was because the cat was weak that he didn't react.

"It's good you brought him in, he's obviously in very bad shape. We would like to keep him for a few days, we might be able to save him," the vet told him. "You said he's a stray, right? Do you plan on keeping him?"

Sogo hadn't thought about that. But looking at the cat, who seemed to be waiting for his answer to that question as well, he nodded.

"Yea, I think I will keep him. Guess I need to think of a name for him," Sogo said, reaching out and gently petting the cat. He let out a weak purr and nuzzled his hand.

"Well, you have time to think. We'll call you in a few days to update you on how he's doing or you can call us. Just ask for a card at the front desk."

Sogo nodded and left the office. He hated leaving the cat there but he knew the vets would do their best to save him. He got a card from the front desk and headed home.

\---

Two weeks went by before the vet called him and told him he could take his cat home. So Sogo went and picked him up. He brought the cat home and set the carrier down on the floor. He opened the carrier and watched as he walked out. He had recovered greatly from the scrawny cat he'd been when Sogo found him. He was now a good weight for a cat, and his fur was incredibly fluffy and really red. So Sogo had named him Aka, which meant red. Just like his fur.

The cat walked around and inspected his surroundings, his eyes bright and curious. Sogo smiled as he watched him and then went to get some food and water. He had prepared while the cat was at the vet. He got everything the kitty would need, a cat bed, litter box, food, toys, and even a scratching post. He set the food down and no sooner than he had, the cat ran over and starting eating.

"Aka, slow down! If you eat too fast, you'll choke," Sogo said and Aka did slow down. It was weird how the cat seemed to understand him. He went and filled another bowl with water, setting it down beside the food bowl. After Aka emptied his food bowl, he drank some water and then went back to exploring. Sogo watched him, a small smile on his face.

He had never considered owning a pet before. But he was happy he decided to keep Aka. He pulled out his phone and turned the camera on. When he pointed the phone towards Aka, the kitty looked at him and sat down, waiting patiently as Sogo took the picture. "Did you know I wanted a photo of you? Most cats I know tend to not sit still for photos."

He sent the picture to the group chat. Nagi and Mitsuki were the first to reply again, stating they were happy the cat looked much healthier than the first picture. Yamato finally messaged this time, asking what his name was, which Sogo replied with 'Aka.' Nagi sent another message, saying they should all go to Sogo's house to meet the cat.

"Seems my friends want to meet you," Sogo said. He typed back 'Not today, I want to give him time to get settled. He just recovered from being sick after all.' He looked back at the cat and realized he hadn't put the collar on him. He got up and retrieved the collar before walking over to Aka. He looked up at him as Sogo kneeled down. He secured the collar around his neck and flicked the tiny bell to make it ring. "I'll have to buy a tag for it later, in case you ever go outside."

Sogo picked him up and smiled as Aka nuzzled against him. "Welcome to the family, Aka."


End file.
